My Morning Meal

I don’t hear, or read, the word “converted” used much anymore. Rarely, when giving their testimony, will someone say, “I was converted at such and such an age” or, “My conversion was brought about this and that.” We talk about “being saved” or, “coming to Christ” . . . but rarely do we talk about being converted. But if you pause and think about it . . . what a good word . . . what a great description of what’s happened. It has the idea of turning from something, to something . . . of once believing one thing, and now believing something else . . . of having lived in a certain context, only to now be living within a different context. And if anybody knew what it was to be converted it was those priests who, in the days of the early church, became believers.

And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.    (Acts 6:7 ESV)

If there was any group that had been openly opposed to Christ during His earthly ministry, it was the priests. Between them and the Pharisees, they had fought Jesus at almost every turn. Their leaders eventually conspiring to falsely accuse Him, try Him, and execute Him. We know that opposition by the religious caste in Jerusalem continued as Jesus disciples started preaching His resurrection and salvation through His name. But, as was I was reminded by a note in my Bible, the gospel is intended for all peoples . . . even the enemies of the gospel. After all, it’s while all of us were enemies that we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son (Rom. 5:10). And as is evident, the gospel is the power of God for salvation for all who believe . . . even for priests who believe.

And what first drew my attention to this observation is the way salvation is referred to . . . that is, “the priests became obedient to the faith.” The Holy Spirit could have moved the author of Acts to say they “believed’ . . . or “repented” . . . or were “saved” . . . or were “added to the number of disciples.” Instead he is inspired to note the fruit of their belief as the evidence of their conversion.

Those who had once been obedient to the Law now became obedient to the faith. Those who believed, now lived differently. Those who were born again, now aligned themselves to a different law . . . the law of Moses giving way to the law of the Spirit . . . the law which brought about sin and death replaced with the law of life which brought liberty and freedom. Those who had once pursued righteous works as a means to earn God’s favor, now responded to God’s unmerited favor with offerings of Spirit empowered works from a place of imputed righteousness.

They were converted.

What they believed transformed how they lived. Who they followed altered how they acted.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.   (2Corinthians 5:17 ESV)

Converted . . . it might be somewhat of an “out of vogue” word . . . but it’s great Biblical truth.

Praise God for the power of the gospel to convert people . . . to Him be all glory.

I think if I was writing the book of Acts I would have just skipped this part. Things are on a role . . . gospel’s being preached . . . people are believing the word, being born again, and becoming part of the body of Christ. The church is growing . . . the momentum is growing . . . so why be a “Debbie Downer?” But it is included . . . God-breathed . . . the writer inspired and led of the Holy Spirit to include the incident as part of Holy Writ. And I think, at it’s essence, it’s a warning about playing church.

It’s the story of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. The story of the church’s first infection with hypocrisy. Community is growing . . . people are selling what they have and giving to those who don’t have . . . some, like Barnabas, are being noticed for their sacrificial acts of kindness (Acts 4:34-37). Enter Anania and Sapphira . . . enter the James 1:14-15 dynamic . . .

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.   (James 1:14-15 ESV)

Their “own desire” was to be noticed like the others. Their “own desire” was to be regarded as “good church members” like some of their brothers and sisters in Christ were. And, their “own desire” was to do so at as low a cost as possible.

It was their land to sell or not to sell. Once sold, the money was theirs to give or not to give. Once they decided to give, how much or how little was completely up to them. And, the fact is, they did give a portion of it to the Church Body. Equally true, though, is that they determined to misrepresent how much they had given in order to gain a little of fame within the Family.

And so, they decided to play church.  And so, they lied. And though they thought they were just putting up a facade before their brother and sisters, they actually lied to the Holy Spirit (5:3) . . . they lied to God (5:4). The deed that they contrived in their heart (5:4) . . . their desire, as James says, conceived and gave birth . . . Satan filling their heart to lie (5:3). And when the sin had fully grown . . . the Head of the Church determine to make it fully known . . . and it, quite literally, brought forth death.

And I think it’s a warning. A warning of how easy the “James dynamic” can come into play in the heart of a believer. How we need to nip those desires in the bud. When the temptation arises . . . the enticement starts to surface . . . how we need to say, “Get thee behind me, Satan!” . . . and not let the seed of temptation birth into sin.

And it’s a warning about trying to “play the part” in the Body. While we are to pursue the kingdom . . . to walk in a manner worthy of calling . . . we don’t need to be something we’re not. Each of us are “His workmanship created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand” (Eph. 2:10) and those “good works” differ . . . our giftings and callings are different . . . we don’t need to “play the part,” we need to play our part.

I’m kind of thankful this form of “church discipline” was unique to the birthing of the church . . . but I’m also reminded of the dynamics and destructiveness of sin . . . and the danger of playing church.

That I might recognize the birthing of sin in my own heart and, by the Spirit within me, put it down. That I might recognize any temptation to pretend to be something I’m not in the church and, because of His grace, seek only to be who He has called me to be.

For His glory alone . . .

Reading the opening chapters of Acts you can sense the growing momentum of the early church. As the body of Christ is birthed . . . as it, through the apostles, bears witness of the resurrection of Christ . . . as it grows in number . . . and as it is formed into a practical, authentic community, you just sense that there was an energy in the midst of these early believers. And at the center of it all . . . sustaining it all . . . was great grace.

Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one said that any of the things that belonged to him was his own, but they had everything in common. And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
(Acts 4:32-33 ESV)

Whether it’s believing . . . or belonging . . . or giving . . . or serving . . . or preaching with great power . . . it was all fueled by great grace.

God’s favor upon God’s people.

We’ve introduced a new song to our church body over the past few weeks . . . Matt Redman’s “Your Grace Finds Me.” The song concludes with the anthem-like chorus, “So I’m breathing in Your grace . . . And breathing out Your praise . . . I’m breathing in Your grace, Forever!” Isn’t that the response of the fresh realization that when all is said in done, we swim in an ocean of unmerited favor?

Isn’t “great grace” the truth we need to never stray far from . . . whether we think we’re doing pretty good or know we’re messing up? Isn’t that the foundational reality that, when grasped, causes us to set our minds on things above . . . when we realize that whatever our circumstance, whether we think we’re winning or losing, that we know that great grace is upon us . . . that His grace finds us?

As I hover over “great grace” . . . as I meditate on the great grace that hovers over me . . . few words come to mind (or to fingers) . . . instead, there is just a sense of awe and wonder. A desire to reflect and respond with thanksgiving and worship.

If you’ve got a few minutes . . . check out Matt Redman’s “Your Grace Finds Me” by clicking here.

Great grace! Great, great God!

Amen?